The Mysterious Letters
by Rubberducky100
Summary: Fraser is receiving letters from someone he's never met, RayK wants to adopt a puppy, and all this is cause of a missing hat?


This was written in response to a challenge set on another site by my friend vic32.

The Mysterious Letters

It had been a long morning. Fraser dragged Ray across half of Chicago chasing after someone who would be found innocent.

"I don't see it Fraser! I just don't see it!" Ray Kowalski said pulling himself out of a dumpster in a Chicago ally.

"I suppose you're right Ray." Fraser said pulling himself and helping Ray out of the dumpster. "Perhaps we should just leave."

"You couldn't have said that ten minutes ago? Ya know, before we covered ourselves in who knows what!" Ray and Fraser sat down in front of the dumpster.

"I'm sorry Ray. After all, I do have more then one hat."

"Ha. Something else you could have said ten minutes ago!" Ray sighed. "Can we go back to the station now?"

"Of course. Ray? Can we stop by the Consulate first and"

"Get your other hat?"

"Yes."

"Ya sure, Frase." Ray stood up and they both walked to Ray's GTO.

"Oh dear." Fraser stopped and looked back at the dumpster.

"Oh dear? That can't be good. What now?" Ray turned and faced his partner.

"I just remembered that I gave my other hat to Constable Turnbull."

"Why?" Ray sighed again. He didn't like where this was going.

"Well, he and I were standing on a train track and since rogue cows were coming we just assumed"

"Never mind! I don't want to hear this. Just ask for it back!"

"I'm not an Indian giver, Ray."

"No of course not." Ray snapped and looked away.

"Right. Well, perhaps I should give it another go." Fraser jumped back into the dumpster. Ray moaned and Dief sat down next to him.

"Maybe we should leave without him?" Ray asked the wolf as Dief licked the remaining garbage off Ray's boots.

Fraser, Dief, and Ray walked into the station.

"Um, Ray?" Francesca walked over to the man pretending to be her brother. "You smell awful! Not your usual awful either. Like a new kind of awful!"

"Gee Frannie thanks!" Ray sat down at his desk and smiled sarcasticlly at her. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" He opened up a candy bar that was on his desk.

"Well, I thought Fraser might be interested in this." Frannie threw an envelope on Ray's desk.

"What is it Francesca?" Fraser sat on the edge of Ray's desk and picked up the letter.

"I don't know. Maybe you have another secret admirer." She winked at him.

"I don't believe I have ever had one before, Francesca."

"Oh." She mumbled some things to herself and walked away. Ray grinned as she left and Dief smelled Fraser's letter.

"Down, Diefenbaker." Fraser ordered the wolf. Dief kept trying to lick the letter. "Ray, will you give Dief your candy bar, please."

"No way, Fraser!" Ray looked down at his candy bar again. "Wolves aren't even supposed to have chocolate!" Dief left Fraser's letter and sat down under Ray.

"I know, but he always seems to get his paws on it anyway."

"What?" Ray sneered at Dief as he looked at him and whined. "Fraser your wolf is begging."

"Dief, there is no need to beg. Now, I know I taught you better than that." Fraser scolded Dief but he ignored him and continued to whine at Ray.

"Ok, ok." Ray sighed. "Fine! You win." He unwrapped the candy bar and gave it to Dief. "You owe me a candy bar now, buddy."

"Understood and thank you kindly, Ray." Fraser opened up his letter while Dief inhaled his new food.

"Yeah, yeah. What does your letter say."

"Well, let's see."

"Aw!" Suddenly a spunky, blonde haired woman walked into the station. Everyone looked at the new face as she stopped several feet in front of Ray's desk. "Aren't you just adorable!"

"Uh" Ray started as he and Fraser jumped up and looked at each other. The woman, dressed neck down in western ware, walked over to them.

"You are just the cutest little doggie I have ever seen! Yes you are, yes you are!" She bent down and scratched Dief behind the ears. Fraser and Ray sighed. "Is this your doggie?" She looked up at Ray.

"Uh, no it's the Mountie's." Ray pointed to Fraser.

"He's a wolf actually. Half wolf that is. He's name is Diefenbaker."

"Oh, well he looks like a big sweetheart to me!" She continued to make baby sounds at Dief.

"Are you suppose to be back here? I mean, I've never seen you here before?" Ray changed the subject.

"Yeah, I'm new."

"You bet she is." Frannie walked over and put her hands on the woman's shoulders. "Guys, this is my friend Heather. She's going to be my sub when I go on vacation tomorrow. Heath this is Constable Benton Fraser and Detective Ray Vecchio. Um, This is her first day so just, don't be yourselves. And Ray, please don't scare her away."

"I'm all over that, Frannie." Ray said. "Well, it's great that your here. Um, we should probably get back to work?" Ray wanted to leave now before Frannie said anything bad about him.

"Right. Excuse us Heather." Fraser and Ray walked to the door. "Dief? Come on." Dief continued to sit beside Heather.

"Is this chocolate on Diefenbaker's mouth?" Heather asked trying to clean the wolf's mouth with a napkin she pulled off Ray's desk.

"Yes." Fraser answered waving for his wolf to come.

"Dief are you coming?" Ray lured the wolf with another candy bar.

"I believe he wants to stay with Heather."

"Yeah, well, he ain't the only one." Ray looked back at her as Dief ran to him and Fraser.

But Fraser forgot to open the letter.

It was the next day and Fraser was walking into the station. He leaned over Ray's desk but Ray wasn't there.

"Oh, Fraser?" Heather walked over to greet the Mountie at Ray's desk.

"Ah, Good Morning Heather. Have you seen Ray?"

"Actually, he was in here this morning. I had an odd conversation with him. Um, I was wondering if you and Ray wanted to go have lunch later?"

"That sounds just fine, Heather."

"Okay, great." She said nervously. "Oh you forgot to open your letter last night."

"Oh so I did." He laughed at himself foolishly. "Well, I was going to wait for Ray, but it could be urgent."

The Mountie's face suddenly turned pale as he read his letter. "Fraser?" Heather leaned on Ray's desk. "What's wrong? What's the letter say?"

"I'm not sure. Heather, I'm going to try to find Ray. Let me know if he comes back here." Fraser rushed out the door.

"OK." By the time she answered, Fraser was gone. He had no cell phone. How was she supposed to tell him it Ray returns?

Fraser was walking down the road toward Ray's apartment when he stopped. There was Ray's car, at the retail store. Benton let out a sigh of relief and walked in the store.

"Ray?" There was Ray standing at the front of the store with a group of people.

"Hey buddy!" Ray left the crowd and walked over to Fraser. "Come here, I wanna show you something." Ray grabbed Fraser's arm and pulled him over to the crowd.

"Ray, I need to speak with you." Fraser tried to back up but Ray kept pulling him.

"Yeah ok, later alright? Wait here." Ray walked into the crowd of people and came back a few seconds later. But what was he holding?

"Oh dear." Fraser said quietly.

"What's wrong? You act like you've never seen a puppy before!" He walked over to Fraser holding a small brown dog. "Ya know how they bring dogs and cats to the supermarket every Saturday?" Fraser nodded "Well, I was driving by and just thought I'd see what pets they have today!" Ray started petting the puppy.

"Um" Fraser was to shocked to speak. "I, I just" Fraser saw Ray smiling. He looked so happy with that dog. "Are you going to adopt him? Or is it her?"

"It's him. And I dunno yet?"

"What brought this on?"

"Well, I don't know really. I was talking to Heather this morning and she told me I looked depressed or somethin'. Do I look depressed?"

"Honestly? Sometimes." The smile left Ray's face until he looked at the pup. Then his face lit up again. "So, Heather told you to adopt a dog because you we're depressed?"

"Yeah. She said that's what she did when she was depressed. And I guess she's been happy since then."

"Well." Fraser pet the dog in Ray's arms. "I suppose that's a good reason. It's been known that pets can bring tremendous comfort to people after a loss."

"A loss?" Ray looked down and thought for a moment. "You mean Stella?"

"That could be a good reason, yes."

"Maybe your right. I mean, I know how happy you are with Dief. Maybe I deserve a little happiness myself right?" Before Fraser answered that, he returned back to the crowd and put the puppy back in his cage. Fraser made a mental note to talk to Heather later.

"Ray?" Fraser saw Ray walking back over to him. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Pets are a big responsibility."

"I know, I know. Come on let's get back to work." Ray lead Fraser to the GTO.

"Hey!" Heather ran over to Fraser and Ray as they entered the station. Fraser and Ray greeted her nearly in unison. "You haven't forgotten about lunch have ya?"

"Heck, I'm starvin'. Let me go get my jacket first. Looks like it might rain today." Ray walked past his friends.

"Heather, May I have a word with you?" Fraser put a hand on her shoulder and lead her towards the door.

"Sure Fraser. What's wrong?"

"There's nothing really wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about what you told Ray."

"Oh, you mean the dog thing?"

"Yes, actually."

"Well, Several years ago, My two brothers we're killed because of me." She sat down on a nearby bench. "Um, It was back when I lived in Texas. I was in trouble. I had made a lot of bad choices and made a deal with a loan shark. When I couldn't pay, he, he." She looked down.

"He killed your brothers." Fraser sat down next to her. Ray walked over, quietly.

"I wasn't able to get over it." A tear started to run down her face. "I thought about just givin' up. Maybe that would be easier. But, that's when I met Lilly. She was about to be captured by dog catchers. I took her in and I spent half a year trying to find her owners. So, I guess I decided she was a stray and kept her to myself. She's what kept me going all along."

"Wow!" Ray finally sat down next to her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that." He wiped a tear from her eye.

"Ya, well, that's history I guess. Now I try to help people that are going through the same thing I did."

"Heather, you're very brave to overcome such an experience." Fraser put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks. I guess I'm kinda proud of myself too."

"So dogs can do that much for people, huh?" Ray helped her stand up.

"Yeah, animals are so amazing. Fraser mentioned you were looking at dogs today? Are you going to buy one?"

"Uh, I might. I don't know. Can we go get something to eat now?"

"That's a good idea."

"Indeed." Fraser agreed and held the door open for his friends.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hey," Ray opened the door to the GTO for Heather. "That was actually fun. We should do that again sometime." Ray walked around the back and opened the door for himself. They had just finished eating and we're on their way back to work.

"Yeah, I wish I didn't have to go tomorrow. You guys are so much fun." She laughed a little and regretted what she said.

"Why do you have to leave?" Ray started the engine of the car.

"Well, Frannie is coming back tomorrow." She sighed and looked out the window. "Then I have to go back to St. Louis." She wanted to cry.

"You could try asking Lt. Welch for a transfer." Fraser added not wanting her to leave either.

"I wish. I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask?" Fraser nodded.

They drove back to the station.

Ray walked in the station. "What the hell happened to this place?" Ray asked stopping in front of Benton and Heather. Huey and Dewey we're painting a canoe on Ray's desk, several children we're running and chanting dressed line Indians, and Lt. Welch was moving a statue of Tarzan.

"Holy cow!" Heather exclaimed as Fraser pushed Ray out of the way so he and Heather could see the station.

"Huey, Dewey!" Ray yelled running over to his desk. "You two want to tell me why you're painting a canoe on my desk? Your choice, before or after I kick you in the head?" Ray leaned over Huey and Dewey. He was practically steaming with anger.

"Well," Dewey started. "It's actually more then you think. Welch apparently owed a friend a favor and he's repaying. And making us all pay with him." He turned around and looked at Welch. "I guess his friend needed to store his Tarzan statue here and needs a canoe to be painted." He almost laughed at what he had just said.

"What about the kids?" Fraser asked.

"Daycare. His friend's wife has a daycare business. She became sick and well you get the picture."

"The plot thickens" Heather jokes.

"Right, well, can you move this thing off my desk?" Ray pulled at the canoe but Huey yanked him away from it.

"Uh, no not exactly." Huey moved him away from the desk. "Y'see, the kids," He turned around and watched them running around. "Who are apparently playing cowboys and Indians, decided it might be fun to super glue the canoe to your desk, Ray." Huey jumped back a little worried Ray would punch him.

"Oh, that's about it?" Ray asked. They nodded. Then he charged at them.

"Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray, calm down." Fraser put himself between Ray and Huey and Dewey.

"Move aside, Fraser. Heads need to be kicked in." Ray tried to move around Fraser.

"Ray, it's not their fault." Heather put her arms around him which distracted him from his anger. He sighed and she could feel his body relaxing.

"Vecchio!" Welch ran out of his office. "I'm sorry about your desk. Let me explain."

"That's okay, Lieutenant. Huey and Dewey already made it clear-ish." He raised an eyebrow at them.

"I'm sorry about all this. My friend got a little carried away." Welch led Ray to Frannie's desk. "You can use this desk until we figure out how to remove the canoe from yours."

"What?" Frannie jumped out of her chair. "This is MY desk!"

"You can have the canoe-desk, Frannie" He pulled her away from the desk and turned her towards the canoe-desk.

"You're gonna pay for this, Ray!"

"Whatever." He mumbled under his breath sitting down behind the desk.

"Oh, Fraser." Frannie walked back over. "I almost forgot, another letter came for you." She threw a letter on the desk.

"Another one, huh?" Ray leaned back in the chair. "What did the last one say?"

"Oh dear, Ray, I almost forgot to tell you about the last one." Fraser opened his new letter. "Hm. It keeps changing."

"Why what does it say?"

"I believe someone is playing jokes on us, Ray"

"How do you know that?"

"Well the last letter said someone has stolen your car. Now, this one says someone has found my hat and wants to return it."

"What? That's really strange. I've got my car." He leaned his chair back and looked out the window. "Uh, still."

"Like I said. Someone is playing jokes on us."

"Shouldn't be messin' with cops." Ray sighed.

"Oh, wait, there is writing on the back." Fraser turned the letter over. "If you ever want to see your hat again, drive to your local supermarket."

"Okay, should we go then?" Ray stood up.

"Yes, I suppose we should get to the the bottom of this." They walked towards the door. "Besides, I don't want to be reprimanded again by Insp. Thatcher for being out of uniform."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Dief ran off the moment they entered the supermarket.

"Dief! Get back here." Fraser called trying not to raise his voice.

"I'll get 'em. You look for the hat thief." Ray left the Mountie and ran after Dief. The wolf over to the display of dogs and cats that Ray was at that very morning.

The minute Ray left, someone sneaked up behind Fraser.

"You the Mountie?" A mysterious voice said.

"Yes." Fraser tried to turn around.

"Don't turn around." Fraser remained still. "Here's your hat." He put it on Fraser's head and dissapeared. Why did this man want to be anonymous?

"Come here boy." Ray walked back over to Fraser luring Dief with yet another candy bar. "Fraser this much candy can not be good for him." Ray smiled and looked up to see the Mountie starring off into space. "You okay, buddy? Hey you found your hat! Where was it?"

"I'm not sure. He just walked up behind me and put it on my head."

"Okay, who?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't let me see him." He finally turned around and faced Ray. "Ray who is that?" Fraser ahd realized there was another dog standing next to Dief.

"Isn't it great! I just adopted this little fella." He leaned over and picked the puppy up. "I don't know what I'll name him. What do you think?" Ray looked at the Mountie and grinned foolishly.

Fraser was still too shocked to speak. He hadn't thought Ray was really serious about adopting. "Uh, I don't know Ray."

"Maybe I should ask Heather."

"That might be a good idea." Fraser realized Heather had just walked in the store behind him.

"Oh, hey Heather. We we're just talking about you." Ray smiled at her though she looked frightened.

"Oh." She giggled a little. "Fraser I really need to talk to you." She pushed Fraser off to the side.

"Of course, excuse us Ray."

"Sure, buddy. Come on guys let's get something to eat." The dogs followed him to the cafe.

"What's wrong, Heather." Fraser noticed how worried she looked.

"I think you and Ray might be in trouble."

"Why?"

"Another letter came while you were gone." She handed him the letter. "I'm sorry I read it. I don't know why I did."

Fraser read the letter aloud. "Greetings hat boy. Your partner will be waiting for you at the dock."

"See what I mean."

"Ray?" The two through the store looking for Ray.

"Okay, so I'm thinking about some fried chicken." Ray was at the cafe about to order. "What do you guys want?" He looked down at the dogs. "Hmm, I'm talking to dogs now." Suddenly Ray felt the end of a gun against his back. Dief started barking and so did the new pup.

"Follow me." A voice said. "And don't turn around."

"Okay." Ray was confused. Him and the dogs walked out the door just as he asked.

Fraser and Heather made their way to the entrance of the store just in time to see Ray, the dogs, and another man walking out the door.

"Halt!" Fraser yelled as he and Heather ran to the door.

"Come on go!" The man yelled nearly dragging Ray across the parking lot.

"I got this. I was a track runner." Heather ran past Fraser and tackled the man. The three of them fell to the ground.

"Get off me dame!" The man struggled her but she kept him pinned down. Fraser grabbed the man's gun and tossed it to Ray.

"Okay, stand up!" Ray grabbed the man's arms and stood him up. "What the hell are you doing this to us for? Some kind of sick pleasure?" He looked in the man's eyes and he looked drunk. "Oh so that's it. Your drunk aren't ya?" Just then the man fell back into Fraser's arms.

"Daddy!" A little girl and a woman ran over to them. "What's wrong with daddy?"

"I'm sorry about this." The woman picked up the girl. "He's my husband." The woman pointed to the unconscious man. "I've been following him all morning."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ray, Fraser, Heather, and Frannie sat down across from the woman and her daughter in a room in the police station.

"Okay, Mrs. Gray." Frannie pulled out a folder. "And this must be your daughter Lucy." Frannie waved at the nervous little girl.

"Don't worry about anything, it's going to be fine. Now, can you just tell us why he did it?"

"Yeah He is a good man. I don't know what happened to him. He started drinking everyday now. He spends all our money on beer and alcohol." The woman explained. "I don't know what he was thinking. I guess he was going to use Detective Vecchio as ransom. I'm really sorry about all this."

"That's ok Mrs. Gray. I'm sure we can work something out." Fraser reassured her.

"I just don't know what will happen now. We have nothing. I don't know what kind of life we can give Lucy." She picked up her daughter and sat her on the chair next to her. "She's only 6 and we can't give her anything." Mrs. Gray wanted to cry but kept herself stable for her daughter's sake.

"Puppy!" Lucy cried and jumped off the chair to sit on the floor next to Ray's pup and Diefenbaker. Dief licked her and she giggled. The puppy sat down next to her and smelled her jacket. "Can I pet your puppy, sir?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Ray looked down at her and smiled. The puppy walked on to Lucy's lap and sat down. Welch walked into the room.

"Well, it doesn't look to bad for Mr. Gray. He will have to go to court but, I think He'll probably be assigned to drug abuse counseling." Welch sat down on the desk.

"Thank you Lieutenant. I'm very sorry about this Detective Vecchio." The woman pleaded.

"It's okay ma'am. No one was hurt and that's all the matters." Ray answered. Everyone stood up and headed out of the room.

"Ray, does this mean I get my desk back?" Frannie ran over to Ray. Ray turned around and saw that the canoe on his desk was gone.

"Sure Frannie." She didn't even answer. She just ran over to her desk and cleared his things off of it.

"Goodbye Mr. Detective." Lucy pulled at his shirt. She held the puppy out to him. "Here's your doggie back."

"Ya know what?" He squatted down next to her. "I want you to have him."

"Me?" She gasped. "Really me?"

"Ya. You need a little friend to look after you. But go ask your mommy first okay?"

"Okay." She ran across the room to her mother.

"That's a good thing you're doing for Lucy, Ray." Fraser put a hand on Ray's shoulder.

"Ya. She needs him more than I do, buddy. Besides," He turned around. "If I get lonely I got Dief, right boy?" He looked at Dief. The wolf barked at him a couple of times.

"That was a yes, Ray."

"Ya, I know."

"I'm proud of you, Ray. Heather sat down next to Ray and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks Heather." He smiled at her.

"She said yes!" Lucy ran back over jumping up and down.

"Alright then, he's all yours!" She picked up the pup. "I haven't named him yet, will you do that for me?"

"Sure." She walked over to her mother and mumbled some things to her before walking back over to Ray. "I know what I'm going to name him now."

"What?"

"Diefen-baker!" She tried to pronounce.

Frannie rolled her eyes, Ray, Fraser, and Heather laughed. It had been a very very strange day.

THE END

I hope everyone likes it! I really enjoyed writing it! Please review if you wish! I love reviews. :D


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